Recent Books on Evangelicals and Politics

During this political season in the US, I’ve taken the opportunity to do some reading on American evangelicals and politics. I have four recent books that I would like to recommend to you that I thought were particularly interesting, in many cases thought provoking and at times practically useful.

As a whole these resources reveal that there is a new approach to politics and the civic life that younger evangelicals particularly are taking, and this in many ways is a direct response to the previous generation’s Cultural Wars. There seems to be an evident fatigue among many young evangelicals with the approach to politics that characterized the previous generations of leaders. The grand hopes for cultural change of movements like the Moral Majority and Focus on the Family to the view of all have not been realized. And although it could be argued that these and groups like them have achieved some of their aims, the grasp for political power central to their approach has definitely had negative consequences. It is the opinion of many young evangelicals, myself included (although I’m not very young anymore), that politically speaking this previous approach has done more harm than good. By grasping at political power, the attempts at cultural change have been tainted by that very power.

Nevertheless, what is most important to emphasize on this election day, is that God’s people are to work for the common good of any society of which they are a part. Individual Christians and Churches are to work for “the peace and prosperity of the city” (Jer 29:7). Of course, there will be disagreements between individual believers and Christian traditions about how best to do this and how the “common good” is defined. Still because Christians have a call to be “salt” and “light”, Christians should be politically and civically engaged.

Contrary to popular thinking though, emerging adult Christians are only marginally engaged in the political and civic arenas of life and in many cases this is for good reason - disempowerment, ineptitude of political intuitions, scandal, etc. Thus, those of us who have influence among emerging adult Christians, should work hard to challenge and equip young Christians love God and neighbor through involvement in the political and civic sphere.

So for the books:

Jonathan Merritt, A Faith of Our Own: Following Jesus Beyond the Culture Wars(Faith Words, 2012). Merrritt is the son of a well known Southern Baptist pastor and former president of the SBC, James Merritt. One of my mentors as a young Christian served at his father’s church in Snellville, GA. I particularly resonated with this book as one who also attended Liberty University and sat under the ministry of Jerry Falwell.

Christian Smith, Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood(Oxford 2011). Smith is the recognized authority on the age group 18-25, called by sociologists today Emerging Adults. While not about Evangelicals particularly his chapter on political and civic disengagement is distressing. In the fifth chapter of the book, Smith deals with the nearly complete disengagement of emerging adults from politics and civic life. According to his research only 6% of emerging adults are significantly involved in politics and the civic life.

Thanks for the book tips. I’m still piecing together my theology of political engagement myself. I’m kind of in that category, even though I still retain a number of the same political sympathies I had in a more naively engaged stage. I came up with about 4 things I could tell people for sure this election (shameless blog plug): http://derekzrishmawy.com/2012/11/04/quick-blog-6-some-things-to-do-on-election-day/ Still, I’d like to have something more substantive to say to my students next election. Do you have any good, slightly more ‘meta’ books on a theology of political engagement, preferably with a good biblical-theological section to it? Thanks!

Patrick

Believers fail when we are into secular political action to achieve a divine goal. Forget that, Falwell would have been wise to.

The other one I bought but was really disappointed in was Wayne Grudem’s “Politics According to the Bible: A Comprehensive Resource for Understanding Modern Political Issues in Light of Scripture.” (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010). To me (not American) it reads more like a defence of American democracy than a true understanding of the kingdom of God. It reads like Grudem is so immersed in his own culture he’s like the fish that doesn’t know he’s wet.

Richard Klaus

I haven’t read it yet but it came with high recommendation from someone I respect…Brian Mattson’s “Politics and Evangelical Theology”. The blurb over at Amazon states: “Tired of talking points? In this book Brian G. Mattson aims deeper, exploring the differences between Left and Right not just as opposing surface issues of public policy, but as a collision of entire worldviews about life, economics, and justice. He argues that a political perspective rooted in an evangelical theology committed to the Bible has serious implications for how Christians should approach contemporary political battles. Discover those implications as he grounds politics in the deepest soil imaginable: what God himself loves.”

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